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Haunting Soundtracks Part I

Saturday, October 06, 2012

Throughout October, the spookiest month, David Garland presents an intriguing range of music from horror, sci-fi and fantasy films. Resourceful composers have found many different ways to chill spines, evoke thrills, be seductively scary, and get on your nerves.

From horror classics like "Bride of Frankenstein" to new movies like Tim Burton's "Frankenweenie," hear music composed for spirited ghost stories, terrifying tribulations, and the monsters we love.

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Comments [10]

John Kaufman
from Allston, Massachusetts

I was reminded of the late, great Forrest J Ackerman as I listened to your show. Forrey was the editor of Famous Monsters of Filmland" and it was through his efforts that I got to know many of the classic monster movies. Other early influences were the scores Les Baxter wrote for the Roger Corman adaptations of the Edgar Alan Poe stories. I hope some of those will be included in further chapters.

I love movies! I also love music from various historical periods, cultures and genres. As a life long visual and performing arts teacher, I have used all types of music in performances and visual projects to inspire my students. Being a NYC child of the 50's, I grew up on Universal Studio sci-fi, horror and fantasy films. I still love them today and my greatest achievement was starting a "Movie Critics Club" in the schools I taught at over the years and actually got students, 5th grade through high school to understand and appreciate old Black and White movies from Metropolis to Frankenstein to King Kong and Godzilla, to the master of them all, Hitchcock! So you can imagine how excited I am to have the priviledge of hearing these programs... I've just recently moved from the Tri-State area to Illinois; so thank goodness for you, David Garland and thank goodness for streaming...or was that screaming...?

This is not exactly in the type of horror you are exploring in October, but I had to mention the opening soundtrack from the original "Diabolique" a French film noir classic. It's a children's chorale singing somewhat out of tune that is spine-tingling! Anyway, maybe sometime you will do a film noir show (other than Hitchcock) and include it.

Few KNOW that among my favorite movies are the universal horror films of the 30-40s. Just WONDERFUL. And of course A&C Meet Franksenstein score among the best. A friend told me about your show, David. Hope to catch it all! If you want me on when you do Christmas morning, please get in touch sooner rather than later.

Wonderful show Excerpts from the old Famous Monsters Karloff record fit in perfectly.Can You tell me the source for the Abbott and Costello title music you played. To the best of my knowledge it is the only one of the universal classic horror film scores not to be releasd or reconstructed. thank you

Scary memorable film scores for me include The Black Cat w/Karloff and Lugosi; King Kong (Max Steiner score); and truly bizarre and creepy --Carnival of Souls. The right music helps set a scene into your memory indelibly.

In 1944, the spooky ghost movie called The Uninvited had one of the most beautiful and (excuse the pun) haunting musical themes. The song itself is called Stella By Starlight. Will this piece be included in your playlist?